Instantaneousness

2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Instantaneous \In`stan*ta"ne*ous\, a. [Cf. F. instantan['e].]
     [1913 Webster]
     1. Done or occurring in an instant, or without any
        perceptible duration of time; as, the passage of
        electricity appears to be instantaneous.
        [1913 Webster]


  
              His reason saw
              With instantaneous view, the truth of things.
                                                    --Thomson.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. At or during a given instant; as, instantaneous
        acceleration, velocity, etc.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     {Instantaneous center of rotation} (Kinematics), in a plane
        or in a plane figure which has motions both of translation
        and of rotation in the plane, is the point which for the
        instant is at rest.
  
     {Instantaneous axis of rotation} (Kinematics), in a body
        which has motions both of translation and rotation, is a
        line, which is supposed to be rigidly united with the
        body, and which for the instant is at rest. The motion of
        the body is for the instant simply that of rotation about
        the instantaneous axis. -- {In`stan*ta"ne*ous*ly}, adv. --
        {In`stan*ta"ne*ous*ness}, n.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  instantaneousness
       n : the quickness of action or occurrence; "the immediacy of
           their response"; "the instancy of modern communication"
           [syn: {immediacy}, {immediateness}, {instancy}]